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Obesity issue deserves more coverage

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Tuesday July 9, 2013 6:38 AM

The
Orlando Sentinel article “AMA's call on obesity as disease sparks furor” in the June 23
Dispatch deserved more coverage.

Somebody is overweight when they are maybe 15-30 pounds over his ideal weight, which is
different for everybody. Somebody who is 50, 100 or 150 pounds overweight is obese and these people
are everywhere we look. Some people are predisposed or have a medical problem, but a large majority
don't have that excuse.

I don't know whether it's a disease or not, but it's certainly an epidemic and an enormous
health problem that affects everybody. A child with a parent 100 pounds overweight is likely to end
up the same way.

Telling someone it's OK to be morbidly obese just makes the problem worse, whether through
increased health-care costs for everyone or an obese child getting bullied.

Just as smokers have to pay more for insurance, someone who is obese should pay more. Not
dealing with this issue is just another example of not taking responsibilty for one’s choices.